More than 30% of the flours analyzed in 2019, 2020 and 2021 had iron outside the limits established by legislation.

The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) regulated the mandatory fortification of wheat and corn flours with iron and folic acid, by means of a resolution published in 2002, and updated by Resolution (RDC) 604/2022.

Fortified wheat and corn flours must contain, until the expiration date, 4 mg to 9 mg of iron per 100 g of product and 140 µg to 220 µg of folic acid per 100 g of product. The report presents the results of monitoring the fortification of wheat and corn flours with iron and folic acid from samples of these flours collected in the Brazilian market in 2020 and 2021.

The results for iron content in wheat and corn flours show that about 25% of the analyses performed in 2020 and 2021 showed amounts of this nutrient outside the established limits. For folic acid, in 2021, more than half (51%) of the flours analyzed had a content outside the defined limits. The percentage of unsatisfactory results for flour labeling requirements was also high.